Peering
by Annie Dolnar
Summary: Written for a writing contest back in 2010. Remus Lupin's worst memory, and one of his best. RL/NT


You come across a small room, a stone basin in the middle a glittery liquid is moving within it. Overcome with curiosity you walk closer to better observe it. As you do you realize that it must be a pensieve something you had read about. It looks as if someone's memories are held within already. But whose? Knowing that you shouldn't, you lean down and allow your head to be submerged and realize it's not like liquid at all. The contents swirl around you and you see it.

 **The Task:** The memories within belong to Remus Lupin. You are to write what you see, it can be either his happiest memory or his worst. You may be as creative as you would like and I would like it to be at least 200 words or around there. If you can't that's fine but there is no maximum, t can be as long as you want. Owl all entries to ME by 11:59pm on the 19th of April.

 **The Prizes:**  
1st Prize: Imprint potion and 2,000 g  
2nd Prize: 1,000 g  
3rd Prize: 500 g

 **Um.. I hope the person who made this little contest (on hexrpg) doesn't sue me or something for publishing my entry. O.o**

"Come on, Agatha, we only have to go a little farther… We're getting really close…"

It was nighttime and dead quiet outside at Hogwarts. Stars could be seen twinkling brightly in the sky. There was a crescent moon out, which could be viewed as the smile of a Cheshire cat. A rather raggedy, yet handsome boy was tugging a girl, Agatha, who had glowing blue eyes and beautiful brown hair. Both of them appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old

"Remus, what were you going to show me?" asked Agatha.

"Not show," he told her, glancing around every now and then to make sure they weren't being followed. "Tell, more like. But I have to do it somewhere no one can hear us…"

The brown-haired girl giggled. "If you're going to tell me you love me, Remus, I already know that. The whole school knows that. Why must we go all the way out here?"

"Because this is different. This is something the whole school can't know."

The girl frowned. "Remus, what's wrong?"

Remus didn't answer; he simply pulled her along towards the lake. They were silent until they reached the edge, right next to a big, green bush. He took both of her hands in his and stared at her so intensely that she blushed.

"Do you love me?" he asked her.

"I-yes," she said, staring helplessly into his dark eyes.

He relaxed slightly, leaned in, and kissed her. It was very sweet and it didn't last long, but it left Agatha breathless.

"Remus," she whispered when he pulled away, eyes closed, her face only an inch away from his, "what were you going to tell me?"

Remus sighed and let go of her hands, putting his own behind his back and staring at the lake with a blank face. "Agatha, if I was something dreadful, something dangerous, would you still love me?"

"What do you mean?" Agatha asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"If I were, say, a werewolf, would you still care for me the same way?"

Agatha giggled nervously. "But you're not a werewolf, silly!"

"Ha," laughed Remus, but there was no humor in his voice. "That would be pretty nice, Agatha, if it were true…"

Agatha was backing away. "You're-you're not-you _can't_ be-"

"You don't know that. Where do you think I go every full moon? Do you think I'm really visiting my mother, Agatha? She's in perfect health! It's me that's the sick one, me with the disease, me the incurable _creature_ …"

His voice had gotten loud and angry; it was clear that this was a difficult subject for him. Agatha kept on backing away, slowly, terrified.

"I-I can't-you're not-this is impossible!"

"I wish it were, Agatha," Remus said bitterly. "I wish it were."

Agatha screamed and ran, tripping over a few roots here and there. Remus kneeled in front of the lake and put his head in his hands, tears falling silently through his fingers.

With a little swirl, the scene changed and focused on a young orange-haired woman with grey eyes and a big smile. A much older Remus Lupin was showing her around a crumby-looking house.

"That's the bathroom," he was saying. "That's the closet. Sirius's room is upstairs; I'll take you there to see…"

But the woman was paying no attention; on the contrary, she had stopped to stare at a rather large painting of an old, scary looking witch with three warts. Screwing up her eyes in a pained expression, she suddenly caused her head to become a mirrored version of the witch's.

"Nymphadora, are you listening? Nympha- what on earth-"

For he had just seen the odd old witch.

"Lupin," she croaked, "I'm going to get you! Don't you call me that awful name," she said with a dark frown, pointing at him crookedly. "I'm _Tonks_."

Remus, who was all the way up the stairs, stood with his arms crossed and an exasperated frown on his face. "Come on kid, fix that creepy look of yours and get up here."

Tonks laughed and fixed her face, then hurried up the stairs after him. On the last stair, she tripped and pushed Remus over, knocking his head into the door.

"Oops," Tonks laughed nervously; she had landed on Remus. "Sorry, Mr. Lupin, I'm really sorry-"

"Since when have you been 'Mr. Lupin', Remus?" a scruffy, gaunt man with a smiling face asked, opening the door.

"Hello, Sirius!" Tonks said brightly, getting up off the floor. "We were just on our way to your room."

"And got a little caught up, I suppose," Sirius said, raising his eyebrows suggestively with a smug smile.

"Oh-ouch-no, Sirius, it's not like- AGH!"

Remus fell back to the ground; Tonks had been standing on his robes.

"Er-sorry," she said apologetically. "I'm dead clumsy."

"So I've been told."

"Dinner's almost ready," yelled a voice from down the stairs.

"Well, come on then," Remus said irritatedly, brushing off his robes. "Let's go down there."

In the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was bewitching the dishes to fly to the table, where Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Mundungus, Mr. Weasley, and, looking very much as though he didn't want to be there, Severus Snape. Tonks, Sirius, and Remus took the three seats that were not next to Mr. Weasley and begin to dish helpings onto their plates.

"Thank you for staying with us, Severus," Mrs. Weasley said warmly. "You never come for dinner!"

"For good reason," muttered Ron. His siblings and Hermione exchanged grim looks of agreement. Severus took no notice of them; rather, he chose to put his attention on Remus, who was adjusting his chair.

"Well, Remus, this place must seem pretty nice to you," he sneered. "Being a werewolf and all, you probably hardly ever get to-"

"Werewolf?" Tonks(who had been entertaining the younger kids by transforming her nose between mouthfuls) asked suddenly, knocking over a mug of butterbeer. Mrs. Weasley rectified this with a flick of her wand.

"Why Nymphadora," Severus asked, feigning surprise. "Did no one tell you we had a werewolf amongst us? Sirius, I would have thought you'd have told her; I'm sure you've wanted to give some one important information, rather than stuff to do with this dusty house, for a while now…"

"Very funny, _Snivellus_ " Sirius said, glaring at Severus. Remus looked nervously at Tonks, who was wide-eyed. The whole table went quiet for a moment, until Tonks' lips spread into a big grin.

"Who knew?" she asked, laughing. Then she went back to entertaining the kids.

It was Remus's turn to look surprised. Sirius grinned at him. "Well, well, Remus," he said, elbowing him suggestively.

"It doesn't matter," Remus said under his breath, so that only Sirius could hear. "She's too young, Sirius-"

Sirius just rolled his eyes and returned to his dinner, leaving Remus surprised, wary, and no longer hungry.

 **FIN**


End file.
